Angel Di Maria says he was close to leaving Paris Saint-Germain for FC Barcelona

“I was really close to joining FC Barcelona.” Angel Di Maria reflected on his proposed move to Camp Nou at the start of the season.

In-form Paris Saint-Germain attacker Angel Di Maria was linked with a sensational move to La Liga giants FC Barcelona at the start of the season following the arrival of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.(Twitter )

The 29-year-old found game time hard to come by, though he has since worked his way into Unai Emery’s starting XI, scoring four goals in as many games, including a hat-trick against Sochaux in the Coupe de France last 16.

Reflecting on his failed transfer, Di Maria told TyC Sports: “I was really close to joining Barcelona but in the end, it wasn’t to be.

And Di Maria heaped praise on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, despite winning the Champions League and LaLiga alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid.

“Messi is always the best, he’s the best every year. Cristiano Ronaldo’s a special player, but Messi’s from another planet,” said Di Maria, who will come up against Ronaldo and Champions League holders Madrid in the last 16 next week.